A Phantom and His Baby Girl
by Ability King KK
Summary: What if Danny met Dani much earlier than expected? What if he had to reveal his secret to his parents because of this? Watch as Danny's life takes a different turn than what it should have.
1. Secrets Revealed

Danny looked into the bright blue eyes before him before he let out a sigh. How did he get into this situation again? Oh, right. Vlad had been very quiet as of late and Danny had to figure out why.

It was actually easy tracking down Vlad. All Danny had to do was follow Skulker since the hunter was the only ghost who willingly worked with Vlad. Sneaking in was also easy since Vlad's ego made him think no one would ever find his little secret lab, so there was no security to deal with. The young halfa couldn't help but grin at the memory of catching Vlad and Skulker off guard.

**FLASHBACK**

"_You idiot! How could you let the Little Badger follow you?!" demanded Vlad as he glared at the hunter._

_Skulker let out a growl before he flew towards Danny. Danny didn't hesitate to blast Skulker with an ecto-blast, sending the hunter flying and crashing into a computer console. This gave Danny time to start blasting everything, destroying whatever Vlad was working on._

"_No!" exclaimed the vampire-looking halfa. Furious, Vlad went after Danny, but that was when Skulker did the same thing. The two villains were almost upon Danny when the teen went intangible, resulting in the two older ghosts to attack each other._

"_Hey, Vlad! Catch!" yelled out Danny before firing an ecto-blast at his disoriented archenemy._

"_Gah!" cried out Vlad with a yelp as he slammed into another one of his machines._

"_Whelp!" exclaimed Skulker, charging forward. All Danny did to avoid this was sidestep and then used the Fenton Thermos to capture Skulker._

"_You'd think he'd learn by now," stated Danny before returning to destroying the lab._

"_That is it! You will pay for this, Daniel!" hissed Vlad as he floated up and glared at Danny._

"_Sorry, but I don't have any cash on me right now. Do you take checks?" retorted Danny with a smirk._

_It was then that the explosions started. The lab wouldn't last long and despite being a ghost, Vlad had to get out of there._

"_This isn't over."_

_The older halfa flew through the ceiling, escaping to fight another day. Danny was about to follow when he heard whimpering and crying. Eyes widening, Danny quickly searched for whatever was making the noise and was surprised by what he found._

_It was a little girl, maybe three-years-old, but what really struck Danny was that she looked just like him when he was in human mode._

"_What…?"_

_He didn't have time to contemplate this new discovery. He quickly grabbed the girl, turned them both intangible, and escaped the exploding lab._

**FLASHBACK END**

Danny let out another sigh as he looked at the toddler sitting on his lap. The child looked back at him with wide blue eyes, curiosity filling them.

"Just what the hell was Vlad doing?" questioned Danny, furrowing his brow.

"Daddy!" exclaimed the child with a smile.

Danny tensed at the exclamation. "Wh-What?"

"Daddy!" exclaimed the child again, reaching up towards Danny.

"…I really hope Vlad was stupid enough to leave some files behind and that they survived the explosion."

With child in hand, Danny flew back to the lab ruins. Going down there, he looked around and found a filing cabinet that was scorched and banged up. Taking a chance, he put his hand through it and unlocked it. Opening it, he found multiple files that were left untouched from the explosions. Danny could only stare at them with a blank look.

'…_I am so glad that Vlad is an egomaniac. If he didn't have an ego, he'd be a lot harder to deal with since he'd actually be able to think straight.'_

Going through the files he came across one labeled "cloning process". Dread filled Danny as he pulled it out and read it over. He felt sick to his stomach at what he read.

"Daddy!"

The teen glanced down at the girl in his arms and frowned. This child was a clone of him. Vlad somehow obtained some of his DNA and tried to clone him to, according to this file, have the perfect son. Despite the situation, Danny's mouth twitched into a smirk since Vlad already failed considering this clone was clearly female. He frowned once more though when a thought hit him.

"What am I going to do?"

Looking around, Danny noticed that some of the machines he destroyed looked to be large glass tubes and judging by what was clearly ectoplasm goop at the bottom of each one, this little girl wasn't the only clone that was made. But she was the only one who survived.

Danny needed to get out of there. This…This wasn't right. What Vlad did was horrific and Danny never expected he'd go that far.

"Daddy?"

He also needed to figure out what to do with this little one. She might have been a clone, but he didn't have the heart to just abandon her. That was something he'd expect Vlad to do and the older halfa pretty much did do that. Then there was the fact that this little girl kept calling him "Daddy".

"…I'm a father and I'm only sixteen. What am I going to do?" questioned Danny, looking down at the toddler with a worried look. It was then a thought came to mind, causing him to give off a shudder. "I just hope it will turn out okay. Otherwise, it might be just me and you…Danielle."

He quickly fished out his cellphone and sent a text to his friends, Sam and Tucker.

**Meet me at my house. I'll explain everything once I get there.**

Putting his phone away and setting the toddler down, he grabbed a nearby duffel bag that survived and started stuffing all of the files into it. Danielle let out a whimper, as she was confused as to why her daddy wasn't holding her.

"Just hold tight, Danielle," said Danny, giving her a smile and patting her on the head. "I'm almost done."

Finishing up, Danny scooped up the little one and had the duffel bag strapped over his shoulder.

"Come on, Danielle. Let's go home…at least I hope it will still be home once everything is said and done."

Taking flight, Danny headed back to Fenton Works.

-:-

Back at Fenton Works, Sam and Tucker were sitting in the living room with Danny's sister, waiting for Danny to arrive.

"And you really have no idea what this is about?" questioned Jazz, having been shown the text.

"No, all we know is that Danny wanted us to meet him here," replied Sam.

"I just hope this doesn't turn out to be a big mess," added Tucker with a groan.

The Goth girl gave him a look. "Have you forgotten everything we've dealt with since Danny got his powers? Chances are that we'll be in for a big headache."

Jazz frowned at this, her worry for her little brother growing. She really hoped that Danny wasn't in any trouble. The sound of the door opening then caught their attention. Turning to it they saw Danny walk in, but they froze in shock when they noticed the small toddler in his arms. It was silent for just a moment as they took in the child's appearance, to which Sam and Jazz cast Danny furious glares.

"What did you do?!" exclaimed the two girls in anger.

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He had a feeling this would be their reaction, but their reaction wasn't the one he was worried about.

The thundering sound of running came to his ears and he knew what was coming. Bursting into the room were his parents, Jack and Maddie Fenton, both wielding Fenton Bazookas that caused Danny to get on guard.

"We heard you yelling, Jazzy-pants! Is there a ghost in the house?!" questioned Jack, looking for the "intruder".

Maddie was also looking when her eyes landed on her son…and the child in his arms. She tensed when she noticed how similar in looks the child was to her son.

"Danny…what do you have a child with you?" questioned Maddie in an accusatory tone. The question made Jack turn to his son and his eyes widened in shock.

Danny let out a sigh before looking at his parents with a serious look. "Mom, Dad, we need to talk."

"You're darn right we need to talk!" exclaimed Maddie, not happy that her son was apparently a teenaged father. "You better start explaining why and how you fathered a child when you're only sixteen!"

The child let out a whimper due to the yelling. This made Danny hold her close, protecting her.

"Wait, Danny. Is this why you asked us to come over?" asked Tucker, glancing at the child.

"Sort of," replied Danny. "I needed some backup."

"Why the hell would you need backup for this?" demanded Sam, glaring at her friend.

Danny glanced at her before looking back at his parents, who were waiting for an answer. "Mom, Dad, do you remember when you first built the Ghost Portal?"

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz all tensed up as they stared at Danny with wide eyes. Was he serious? Was he seriously going to tell his parents about that?!

"Don't change the subject, Danny-boy," replied Jack, frowning at his son.

"I'm not! It has everything to do with this!" exclaimed Danny, giving his parents a narrowed look.

"What are you talking about, Danny?" questioned Maddie with a raised eyebrow.

Another sigh came from her son. "Remember how when you plugged in the Ghost Portal and it wouldn't work? After you and Dad left in disappointment, I got curious and went inside it."

Both of the adults tensed at this. "Danny…"

"Once inside I accidentally pressed the "ON" switch and you can pretty much guess what happened next."

Jaws dropped as Jack and Maddie stared at their son with wide eyes. "Danny! What were you thinking?! You could have been killed!"

He gulped nervously. "Y-You're kinda half right, Mom."

"Wh-What?"

He then handed Danielle over to Jazz. The child whimpered and reached out for Danny, only for Danny to pat her on the head to calm her down. He then turned back to his parents and they could see the sadness and fear in his eyes and that scared them.

"Just promise me that no matter what you think of me after this, that you won't hurt Danielle. She never asked to be brought into this world and shouldn't be punished for this."

The parents were confused at first, but their eyes widened when they watched as a white ring surrounded their son. The ring then separated, with one ring going up and the other going down. Once the rings dissipated there stood the one person Jack and Maddie were not expecting.

Danny opened his eyes, now glowing an ecto green and still held fear as he stared at his parents.

"Getting zapped by the Ghost Portal essentially gave me ghost powers, turning me into a half-human half-ghost hybrid known as a "Halfa"," explained Danny. "Y-You can see why I kept this a secret for so long."

It was quiet. Too quiet for Danny's liking as his parents stared at him. He was honestly surprised that they hadn't started shooting him yet. What really surprised him though when tears started to form in his mother's eyes and she rushed forward to bring him into an embrace.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Danny!" cried Maddie as she held her child close.

"Y-You mean you're not going to shoot me or rip me molecule by molecule?" questioned the white-haired boy, confused.

"Of course not, Danny-boy!" exclaimed Jack, wrapping his arms around his wife and son. "You're our son! We would never purposely hurt you, no matter what you are!"

This only caused Maddie to cry harder. It was obvious that she was feeling guilty. This whole time when she had been hunting down Phantom, threatening to dissect him, he was in reality her only son, her baby boy.

Danny could feel tears of his own coming as he hugged his parents back. All of his fears dissipated and he was filled with relief knowing that his parents accepted him. Jack then looked up at the other teens in the room, the three of them looking guilty.

"Did you three know about this already?"

"W-We were there when it happened," replied Sam, with Tucker nodding in agreement.

"And I found out later on," added Jazz.

It was then the little one decided to speak up.

"Daddy!"

That caught everyone's attention as they now stared wide-eyed at the little girl, who was currently reaching out towards Danny.

"Danny-boy…what exactly is the connection between you and this little girl?" questioned Jack, getting back to the original matter at hand.

The teen could only scowl, but it wasn't directed at anyone in the room. "Vlad."

Jack and Maddie became confused. "What does Vlad have to do with this, sweetie?"

"…Let's just start by saying that I'm not the only Halfa out there."

He then went on to explain everything. Vlad being a Halfa, how he became a Halfa in the first place. Finding out that the accident back in collage was the cause, Jack couldn't help but feel guilty. Danny reassured him otherwise.

"Dad, you did everything to apologize. Vlad's the one who refused to accept those apologies."

Danny continued to explain that Vlad became a bitter, obsessive old man because of the accident, vowing to kill Jack and take Maddie as his wife.

"What?!" exclaimed Maddie. "But why?!"

"Mom, Vlad is obsessed with you and has been since your collage days. In his mind, Dad stole you away from him after causing the accident."

"But that's crazy! I've never seen Vlad in that way and have always been in love with your father!" stated the Fenton matriarch. This caused Jack to hold her close.

"We all know that, Mom, but Vlad won't accept that either."

Danny finished up with his discovery of Danielle and what she really was. He placed the duffel bag full of Vlad's files on the table for his parents to go over. As the two adults read the files, the teens could see the anger building up in Maddie's eyes. One would think they would become red and Maddie wasn't even a ghost.

"If I ever get my hands on that…that fruit loop he's going to wish he never came back into our lives!" exclaimed Maddie, reading about the cloning process.

"I can't believe Vlad would go this far," stated Jack, not looking happy at all. The normally jolly man was down right furious.

"Now you can see why I told you my secret," said Danny, Danielle in his arms. "I couldn't just leave her, but I don't know anything about raising kids. I needed help."

Maddie looked at her son, nervously. "Sweetie, what would you have done if your father and I didn't accept you and your ghost half?"

She watched as he glanced away. "I…I probably would have ran away and do whatever I had to, to raise Danielle on my own."

The Fenton parents brought their son and new granddaughter into a hug. "We are so sorry for making you afraid, Danny-boy."

"It's okay, Dad. If anything, I should be the one apologizing for not trusting you two."

While the hugging continued, Danielle looked up at the large people in curiosity. She tried reaching out to them, but being in her Daddy's arms prevented her from going too far.

"Aw, did you want to see your grandma and grandpa, sweetie?" asked Maddie as she scooped the little girl into her arms and held her close.

"She's the spitting image of our Danny-boy!" exclaimed Jack with a grin as he gently ruffled the girl's hair.

"Well she is a clone, Dad," stated Jazz. She was currently reading the file her parents were previously reading. "According to this she's only been around for three months."

Danny raised an eyebrow at this before turning to look at Danielle. He then turned back to his sister. "But she's clearly three-years-old."

"Maybe during the cloning process one month equals one year," suggested Tucker.

"And you would be right," replied Jazz, still reading the file. "According to Vlad's notes, Danielle here was supposed to stay in stasis until a full year had passed."

The older halfa gulped nervously as he glanced at his daughter. If she was supposed to stay in that container for a year, did that mean she was incomplete then?

"M-Mom, Dad?"

"Don't worry, sweetie. Your father and I will perform as many tests as necessary to make sure Danielle is alright," replied Maddie, a look of determination on her face. Jack had a similar look on his. They were not going to let anything happen to their granddaughter!

Jack quickly gathered up Vlad's files, thinking the might hold an answer to what they might be looking for. He then followed after his wife as they went down to the lab with Danielle in Maddie's arms. Danny then started to follow after them.

"Danny, your parents accepted you," said Sam, worried for her friend. "I don't think they'll do anything to hurt Danielle."

"I know that, but chances are they might need to take a blood sample. Have you ever met a kid you was okay with needles?" asked Danny, looking back at his friends and sister.

"…He's got a point," replied Tucker, looking at Sam.

The Goth let out a sigh before giving Danny a smile. "Go be with your daughter then. Make sure you give her a lollipop afterwards."

Danny rolled his eyes at the joke before descending into the lab. He just hoped everything with Danielle would turn out okay.

**CHAPTER END**

**-:-**

**Wanted to try my hand at a "Daddy Danny" fic. I think this might be the first of it's kind though as most other "Daddy Danny" fics have Jack and Maddie as antagonists or have Danny keep his secret. Keep in mind; Danny is still a child himself. He might be able to fight various ghosts on a daily basis, but there's no way he'd be able to care for a child on his own.**

**Next chapter, some of the ghosts find out about Danielle. What could their reactions be upon finding out that Danny Phantom has a daughter?**


	2. Cats and Dogs

Danny let out a yawn as sunlight filtered into his room. He was just glad that it was Sunday, meaning he could sleep in.

A small yawn caught his attention and he felt something snuggle his chest. Glancing down, Danny found Danielle sleeping peacefully. He smiled down at his daughter as the memories from yesterday came back.

He had found out he had a daughter, his parents had accepted him being a half-ghost, and they were able to fix what was wrong with Danielle.

At that thought, Danny clenched his fist. Apparently, according to the files, even if Danielle was able to reach a full year in stasis she still would have been instable and Vlad knew it. Vlad saw her as a failure simply because she ended up as a female and was going to dispose of her the moment he was able to create a perfect male clone.

Luckily, his parents were able to figure out what needed to be done to keep Danielle stable for good. His mom had quickly built a device (that his dad decided to call the Fenton Ecto-Dejecto) and they were able to use it to stabilize the little girl. Further tests confirmed this.

After getting a clean bill of health it was time for bed. After saying goodbye to Sam and Tucker, Danny had headed up to his room with a sleepy toddler in his arms.

Back in the present, Danny reached down and ran his hand through her hair. He would protect this little girl with every ounce of his being.

-:-

"Okay, Danielle. Repeat after me…"

"So wait, what exactly are you doing again, Danny?" asked Tucker in confusion. He and Sam had come over to see how the new father was doing. It was also just the teens in the house at the moment as Jack and Maddie had gone out to buy clothes and other things Danielle would need.

"I'm trying to teach Danielle new words as well as teach her to read," replied Danny, who was holding up handmade flash cards. "She might be three-years-old physically, but mentally she's like a baby."

"And we are trying to expand her mind!" stated Jazz as she walked into Danny's room with a stack of books.

Sam glanced at the books with a raised eyebrow. "Jazz, don't you have any books more suitable for Danielle?"

"What's wrong with these books?"

"They're textbooks, Jazz," replied Danny in a deadpan tone. "She's pretty much just a baby and not everyone can be a genius like you. She needs books for her skill level."

"But the whole purpose is to teach her to read! Think of how smart she'll be if she can learn how to read from these!" exclaimed Jazz with a smile.

Danny could feel his eye twitch while Danielle tried to get her Daddy's attention. "Jazz…I know a little puppy by the name of Cujo who would love to meet Bearbert Einstein."

A gasp escaped the older teen as she stared at her brother horrified. "You wouldn't!"

"Only if you get some actual children's books."

Jazz pouted, not liking how her very own brother was blackmailing her. She was just trying to help her cute little niece and this was the thanks she gets?

"Fine! I still think she should learn how to read from my books though."

The halfa was about to retort when a blue mist escaped his mouth. He let out a groan of annoyance. "Just great."

"Don't worry, Danny. We can watch over Danielle for a bit," said Sam, knowing that Danny would rather watch over his daughter than deal with the ghost.

"Thanks," replied Danny. "Going ghost!"

Transforming into his ghost form, Danny was about to fly off to go stop whatever ghost made their appearance when…

"Daddy, no go."

Turning back, Danny saw the sad look on Danielle's face as she reached out to him. It was clear that she didn't want him to leave. He gave her a reassuring smile before patting her on the head.

"Don't worry, Danielle. Daddy is just going to work for a bit. I'll be home soon. Remember to behave for your aunts and uncle, okay?"

He placed a quick kiss on her forehead before heading out. When he was gone, Danielle let out a few whimpers and tears built up in her eyes.

"Please don't cry, Danielle!" said Jazz, not wanting to see her cute little niece so sad.

"Y-Yeah! Your dad will be back before you know it!" added Tucker, trying to calm the toddler down.

It didn't work. The child let out a loud cry, causing the three teens to cover their ears. What happened next was something they weren't expecting at least for another few years. A ring appeared around Danielle and she transformed into a mini version of Danny's ghost half.

"Daddy!" cried the little ghostling as she phased through the wall and flew in the direction Danny went.

The teens stood there flabbergasted at the fact that they just lost a three-year-old. They quickly scrambled out of the room to give chase.

-:-

Danny searched for whatever ghost decided to show their face as he flew over Amity Park. He just wanted to find the ghost, stuff them in the Fenton Thermos, and go home and be with his daughter. The sound of a motorcycle then caught his ear. Looking towards where the sound came from he found that it was Johnny 13 and Kitty riding down the road. Danny actually let out a sigh of relief upon seeing them.

"This might actually be easy for once," said Danny to himself as he flew down to the ghost couple. "Sir, I'm going to need you to pull your vehicle over!"

"Get lost, Phantom!" yelled Johnny, glaring at the younger ghost.

"No can do, Johnny," replied Danny with a grin. "In fact, I have a proposition for you!"

The biker ghost looked confused at the word. "A what?"

Kitty just rolled her eyes before looking at Danny with interest. "What kind of deal, Danny?"

"Pull over so we can talk!"

The three made their way into the nearby park. Once there, Johnny parked his motorcycle and gave Danny a narrowed look.

"Talk, Phantom."

"I'll cut to the chase. If you two promise not to cause any trouble, like hurting people or destroying property because you two had an argument, I won't bother you whenever you're here in Amity on a date."

The ghost couple looked at Danny in confusion. Was he serious? Was he really going to leave them alone when they're on a date?

"What brought this on, Danny?" asked Kitty, curious.

"…I'm in the middle of something really important right now and it needs my attention. If it were any other ghost, I'd probably be fighting them right now. You two on the other hand, even though we don't always see eye to eye, I can at least talk to you and you'll listen for the most part," explained the halfa. "So since we both would rather be doing something else instead of fighting, how about it? Truce?"

Kitty gave off a beaming smile. "Truce!"

"Kitty! How do you know this isn't a trick?!" questioned Johnny, still not trusting Danny.

Kitty gave her man a pout. "Because you and I both know Danny isn't like that! He's a goody-goody, remember?"

Johnny stared at his girlfriend for a bit before letting out a groan and giving in. "Fine! But if Phantom tries anything I'm sicking Shadow on him."

Both Kitty and Danny rolled their eyes at the biker. Kitty then turned to Danny with a look of curiosity. "By the way, Danny. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is that important thing you mentioned?"

The white-haired teen became nervous. "W-Well…"

"Daddy!"

Kitty and Johnny watched as Danny tensed up and looked around frantically. They became even more surprised when a small blur crashed into Danny, almost knocking him over. Their eyes widened when they saw what the blur was.

"D-Danielle?! What are you doing here?!" questioned Danny, looking at the toddler in his arms with a frantic look.

"Want Daddy!"

The teen let out a sigh of exasperation. Why was Danielle here? Jazz, Sam, and Tucker were supposed to be watching her! Wait, she could transform already?! Things just couldn't be easy for Danny, could they?

The two Phantoms then jumped when a loud squeal sounded off. The next thing Danny knew was Danielle being snatched out of his arms.

"Eee, she's so cute!" exclaimed Kitty as she nuzzled the little one, causing said little one to let out some giggles. Danny and Johnny glanced at each other before looking back at Kitty fawning over Danielle. The happiness exuding from Kitty soon disappeared when she glared at Danny. "What did you do?!"

"Okay, what's with everyone thinking I knocked up some random girl?" questioned Danny, looking annoyed.

"Didn't you?" questioned Johnny. This earned him a glare from Danny.

"Then why is there a little girl who looks exactly like you and calling you "Daddy"?" demanded Kitty.

"…I'll tell you in a moment. First I need to make a call," said Danny as he took out his cellphone and typed in a number. After a few rings…

"H-Hey, Danny!"

"Hey, Tuck. I'm just calling to see how things are going," replied Danny. Kitty and Johnny were watching him from the sidelines.

"Things are going great! Never better!"

"And Danielle is behaving herself?" asked Danny. He could have sworn he heard the hushed voices of Sam and Jazz in the background.

"Y-Yeah! She's real well behaved!"

"So she didn't discover her ghost powers and she didn't fly away from you three in order to find me? Is that what you're telling me?"

"…"

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Tucker…you, Sam, and Jazz just head back home and if my parents are there, tell them I'm bringing some ghost guests over. They are NOT allowed to shoot them, understood?"

"R-Right! No problem! …Sorry, Danny."

Danny hung up the phone and walked over to Johnny and Kitty, taking Danielle from Kitty's arms. "Come on, you two."

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Johnny. "You want us to go to your house?! Your parents are ghost hunters, remember!"

"And they know my secret now," explained Danny, adjusting Danielle in his arms. "As long as you're with me, they won't hurt you."

"…And you'll really tell us why you have a daughter now?" asked Kitty, glancing at the ghostling.

"I said I would, didn't I? Now let's go."

With that, Danny flew off with Johnny and Kitty following close behind.

-:-

After learning Danny's secret, Jack and Maddie had reassessed how they should go about their research on ghosts. Knowing that their son, and granddaughter for that matter, was half-ghost it now felt wrong to want to capture and possibly dissect other ghosts for their research. The Fenton parents had come to an agreement to study ghosts through observation more than anything.

Don't get them wrong, though. They wouldn't stop building various ghost hunting gadgets. This was mainly because Vlad was still out there and they were not going to be defenseless should he come around. There was also the chance that there were other evil ghosts, like that hunter ghost Danny had told them about.

That being said, the Fenton parents were still surprised when they heard that their son would be bringing home some ghosts after they learned that Danielle had "run away" from home. Oh they were going to have a talk with Jazz over that.

When Danny and his guests arrived, Jack and Maddie had to fight their usual instincts to pull out their weapons. From what Maddie could see, Jazz was also trying to fight the urge to blast them if the glare she was giving them was any indication. The Fenton parents took note that the male ghost looked nervous to be there, while the female looked curious.

"You know, actually getting the chance to look around, you have a very nice home, Danny."

"Thanks, Kitty."

Maddie raised an eyebrow at the interaction between her son and this ghost. She didn't doubt her son when he said he was bringing some ghosts over, but to see how friendly they were to each other…maybe there really was more to ghosts than she originally thought.

It was then that Jazz's patience wore itself thin. "Danny! Why are they even here?!"

Her younger brother gave her a blank look before responding. "Well, since they were there when Danielle found me, you know, after flying away from one of the people who were supposed to be watching her (Jazz flinched at this) and I once again get accused of getting a girl pregnant, I figured it would be best to tell them where Danielle really came from."

"What?! You're really going to trust them with that?!" questioned Jazz, giving Johnny and Kitty a distrustful look. Kitty glared right back at elder Fenton child.

"Compared to most of the other ghosts I know, yes, I trust them…well, mostly Kitty anyway."

"Hey!" cried out Johnny, while Kitty's glare turned into a beaming smile.

"The point is, I know they won't hurt Danielle," said Danny.

"How can you even be sure?" questioned Jazz, glaring at Kitty.

The biker chick glared right back. "For your information, we're ghosts, not monsters. Only the lowest of the low would go after a toddler for any reason. So don't lump us in with those types of idiots."

"And Plasmius is the biggest one of them all," added Danny, earning curious looks from the ghost couple. The halfa left the room, but soon came back with the file and handed it to Kitty. "That's where Danielle came from."

Kitty opened the file and the ghost couple read it, their eyes widening as they did so. Right when they finished reading it was when Kitty snatched Danielle out of Danny's arms and held her close.

"You poor little thing!" exclaimed the green-haired girl as she nuzzled the ghostling. "Don't worry. Your Aunt Kitty is going to make sure that mean old fruit loop never hurts you!"

Danny could only chuckle as he watched Kitty dote on his giggling daughter. Jazz on the other hand bristled at the idea that this…ghost was trying to usurp her roll as favorite aunt! She turned to her parents to have them put a stop to this, but was shocked to find them smiling at the scene.

Johnny was looking at his girlfriend with a frown. "Kitty, let's be serious here. There's no way you could take on Plasmius."

"Sure I can. All I have to do is banish him," replied Kitty. "You of all people should know about that, Johnny."

The humans all raised an eyebrow at the mention of banishment.

"Banishment?" questioned Sam.

"Yup! If I wanted to I can banish someone just by blowing a kiss. Although it only works on men," explained Kitty. All of the males shuddered at the thought.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," said Danny, giving off another shudder.

Kitty could only giggle. "I wouldn't worry too much about that, Danny. Unlike most ghosts, I don't really have a problem with you."

"Which brings up the next question, Danny," said Sam, butting in. "What's going to happen if one of the ghosts that do hate you find out about Danielle and none of us are around to keep her safe?"

To her surprise, Danny grinned. The halfa phased through the floor into the basement, confusing everyone. The next thing they heard was a sharp whistle followed by…barking? Sam and Tucker tensed up at the sound.

'_He wouldn't!'_ thought the two teens.

Danny soon returned, followed by a small, green, panting fuzzball with a spiked collar.

"Puppy!" exclaimed Danielle, reaching for the dog. Kitty set her down, allowing the toddler to make her way over to the puppy.

The happy puppy looked at the oncoming child, wondering why she looked like his master.

"Cujo," said Danny, getting the canine's attention. "This is Danielle, my daughter. I need your help looking after her and keeping her safe. Can you do that for me, boy?"

"Arf!" replied Cujo, giving Danielle a few licks and making her giggle.

"Danny-boy, I know this is a ghost dog, but are you sure he can help protect Danielle?" asked Jack, looking at Cujo with interest.

Danny grinned once more. "Cujo, get big."

"Arf!"

In an instant, the small puppy was replaced with a dog the size of a truck. Those who hadn't met Cujo before stared up in amazement.

"WOOF!"

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Johnny, earning a punch to the ribs from Kitty. "Ow! What the hell, Kitten?!"

She punched him again as she glared at him. "Don't swear in front of the baby, Johnny!"

The biker ghost looked around to see that he was getting disapproving looks from the women and Danny. "S-Sorry. Won't happen again."

"It better not," grumbled out Danny as Cujo reverted back to his small size and started playing with Danielle. "Anyway, with Cujo here Danielle should be extra safe from my enemies."

"Danny, you do know owning a dog is a lot of responsibility, right?" questioned Maddie. "Your father and I agreed to help you with Danielle, but…"

"I know, Mom, but Cujo is well trained already and with him being a ghost he doesn't need as much as a dog that is alive," explained Danny as he scratched Cujo's head, causing the puppy's tail to wag in happiness. "I can handle this, Mom."

Maddie let out a sigh. First a daughter comes into his life and now he takes in a ghost dog? She really hoped Danny didn't burn himself out over all of this responsibility.

**CHAPTER END**

**-:-**

**Looks like Danny will have a bit more extra help in raising Danielle. Of course Jazz doesn't seem to like the idea of Kitty's self-proclamation of being the little halfa's aunt.**


	3. Enter the Blue Flames

Monday, the day everyone dreaded. Adults had to go to work and children had to go to school. While most were getting ready for the day though, a certain Halfa had other plans. Danny, still in his pajamas, was currently sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast while Danielle sat in her high chair eating her own breakfast of Cheerios and a sippy cup of milk and Cujo ate a plate of scrambled eggs that Danny made for him. It was this scene that Maddie came upon when she came downstairs.

"Danny, why aren't you dressed for school?" questioned the Fenton matriarch. She knew her son was always dressed to leave for school after breakfast.

"I'm not going to school today," replied the teen. "In fact, I don't plan on going to school for the whole week."

Maddie frowned at hearing this. She gave her son a narrowed look and put her hands on her hips. "What do you mean you're not going to school this week?"

"Danny's not going to school this week?" questioned Jazz, who just arrived. Being the brainiac nerd that she was, this didn't sit well with her.

"It's as I said. I'm not going to school this week. After what happened yesterday with Danielle (Jazz flinched at the look Danny gave her), it's clear that she is TOO dependent on me. Granted, that's not a surprise since she's three, but how can I leave her in someone else's care if she'll just go ghost and fly away again?"

"And how will missing a week's worth of school help, young man?" questioned Maddie, still not liking the idea of her son playing hooky.

"My plan is that I'm going to try and have Danielle get used to other people," explained Danny. "Maybe if I'm there as well it will tell Danielle that she can trust them as much as I do."

"I don't know, Danny…"

"Mom, I need to do this for Danielle. Besides, it's not like I'm really going to miss school. You and I both know that Jazz will make sure I get my schoolwork. She's predictable like that."

"Hey!" exclaimed Jazz, giving off a pout. "I am not predictable!"

"Jazz, you're as predictable as Dad."

"Take that back!"

"It's true though. In fact, Dad's about to come downstairs to get some fudge right about…now."

The sound of thundering footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs as Jack soon made his appearance.

"Time for some fudge!" exclaimed the large man with a grin as he made his way over to the fridge.

While Jack rummaged around in the fridge, Jazz had a look of horror on her face while Danny grinned in victory.

Maddie let out a sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Jack, do you know what your son plans on doing?"

"Follow in our footsteps and fight ghosts?!" replied Jack with an excited grin.

"Uh, Dad? I already do that, remember?"

"Jack, Danny plans on skipping a week of school," stated Maddie with a frown.

Now those who did not know Jack personally would think he was an idiot, but even Jack knew the importance of school. He wouldn't be where he was today if he never graduated from college.

"No son of mine will be skipping school!" exclaimed Jack, a rare serious look on his face.

"But this is for a good reason, Dad. I'm going to be teaching Danielle that she can trust other people," explained Danny as he lifted his daughter out her high chair, to which the little one then snuggled closer to her Daddy. "Besides, don't forget that I already cut class sometimes so I can fight off the bad ghosts."

As Danny mentioned earlier, Jack was predictable. He knew that his father would agree if he not only brought up ghost hunting, but his cute little granddaughter as well.

"If that's the case then I see no reason why you can't stay home!"

"Jack!" scolded Maddie, giving her husband a look. The excited grin that was on Jack's face fell and instantly turned into a dejected frown. "Danny is not skipping school!"

"Come on, Mom! I need to do this for Danielle!" stated Danny, desperate to get his mom to agree. "Can you imagine what could happen if she somehow got out again to try and find me? This is something that needs to be done!"

Maddie really wanted to stand her ground and say no, but Danny wasn't making it easy. Especially when he was holding up Danielle and the little girl was looking at her with those innocent blue eyes. Pinching the bridge of her nose once more in frustration, she soon relented.

"Only for this week, Danny. Do I make myself clear?"

The Halfa gave off a grin. "Thanks, Mom! I need to go call Tucker and Sam and let them know why I won't be at school."

"Wait, Danny, who exactly are you going to have Danielle get used to first?" asked Jazz as she watched her little brother head towards the stairs. "Tucker, Sam, and I will be at school and Mom and Dad will be busy, so who is left?"

The grin that appeared on Danny's face left an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.

-:-

In the Ghost Zone…

Kitty was humming a little tune to herself as she applied her makeup. Off to the side, Johnny stood and watched her in confusion, not sure why she was getting all dolled up.

"…At the risk of getting banished, did I forget about a date we had today?" asked the biker ghost.

The biker chick rolled her eyes before continuing with her makeup. "No, Johnny. We didn't have a date today. Danny called and invited me over for the day. And before you say anything, he invited you too. We're going to spend time with our cute little niece!"

"Count me out, Kitten," replied Johnny with a shudder. "There ain't no way I'm spending the day in a house filled with things that can harm ghosts!"

Rolling her eyes once more, Kitty turned to her man with a pout. "Johnny, Danny would not let anything happen to us."

"What about his folks?! They're ghost hunters, remember?!"

"And Danny and Danielle are ghosts and you saw that they have no problem with them," countered Kitty. "The only ghost they're after now is Plasmius and for good reason."

"I'm still not going!"

The biker chick gave off a huff before glaring at Johnny. "Ugh, why do you have to be such a scaredy-cat?!"

"Hey! I ain't no scaredy-cat!"

"Then come with me to Danny's."

"…"

"Scaredy-cat," replied Kitty as she took off for the Ghost Portal, leaving behind a pouting Johnny.

-:-

A chorus of giggles filled the room as Kitty held and nuzzled Danielle.

"How can someone be so cute?!" exclaimed Kitty as she continued to nuzzle the child, causing more giggles to come from Danielle.

Danny gave off a smile as he watched the two. "I really appreciate you coming over on such short notice, Kitty."

"Are you kidding? Who'd give up the chance to spend time with such a cute little thing?" replied Kitty with a giggle. She then looked Danielle in the eye. "I'm going to spoil you rotten! Yes I am!"

"Um, try not to spoil her too much, Kitty," said Danny with a nervous laugh.

This earned him a pout from the biker chick. "You're no fun, Danny."

"I'd just rather not have Danielle end up like someone like Paulina. You do remember her, right? You possessed her so you could date me and make Johnny jealous."

"…Oh yeah, her. I kinda regret that, now that I think about it," replied Kitty with a grimace. "You wouldn't believe how many showers I had to take after getting out of that body."

Danny had to hold back a laugh. "How do you think I feel? I used to have a crush on her!"

"You can do so much better, Danny."

"I've never been that lucky," replied the halfa. As if to prove his point, a blue mist then escaped his mouth. "See what I mean?"

"Beware! I am the Box Ghost!"

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as the annoyance known as the Box Ghost appeared from the floor and flew out of the house. He gave an apologetic look towards Kitty.

"Just go. I'll keep an eye on Danielle," said Kitty with a smile.

"Thanks, Kitty," said Danny as he transformed. He then turned and placed a hand on Danielle's head. "Danielle, I need you to be a good girl for your Aunt Kitty while I'm gone, okay? I'll be back very soon."

The little one let out a whimper as she reached out for her Daddy.

"Don't be sad, Danielle! You get to spend time with me and have fun while your Daddy deals with an annoying idiot!" stated Kitty as she tickled the little girl, getting rewarded with a fit of giggles.

With that, Danny took off after the Box Ghost. Kitty made her way over to the couch and sat down with Danielle on her lap. Cujo was off to the side sleeping in his little doggy bed, his legs in the air and occasionally twitching as he dreamt.

As Kitty played with Danielle, she didn't notice the figure that came up from the floor behind her.

"Ha! About time the Box Ghost was useful for something! With Baby-Pop busy with that idiot, I can go and do my thing without any interference!" exclaimed a voice, causing Kitty and Danielle to jump in surprise.

Kitty turned to look behind her and was surprised to find her best friend floating there with a grin that only spelled trouble.

"Ember?"

The ghostly rock diva blinked in confusion before turning to where her name was called. Her ecto green eyes widened upon finding Kitty.

"K-Kitty?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I should be the one asking that! And watch your language in front of the baby!"

"Baby?" questioned Ember in confusion.

"Yup! Meet Danielle!" exclaimed Kitty with a giggle as she held up the ghostling, who stared at Ember with wide blue eyes.

Ember had a blank look on her face as she looked at the child, trying to process a few things. Why did this kid look like Baby-Pop? Why was Kitty in Baby-Pop's house? And most importantly, who was the skank she had to hunt down for entrapping Baby-Pop?!

"I want answers…NOW!" growled out Ember, her anger showing through her ponytail.

Kitty merely rolled her eyes. She had a feeling of what Ember was thinking. The biker chick really wished her friend would just be honest with her feelings.

"Danielle's not mine, Ember," said Kitty, holding back a smirk.

"I know that! We hang out so much that I would have to have been blind not to notice if you were ever pregnant!" snapped Ember, glaring at her friend. "Why is there a baby version of Baby-Pop?!"

"I can't tell you."

Another growl came from the rock diva, making Kitty hold Danielle protectively.

"Kitty…"

"Ember, if you want to know, then you'll need to wait until Danny gets back. If he feels that you can be trusted, then he'll tell you," replied Kitty.

The blue-haired girl was starting to wonder if she stepped into an alternate reality. What the hell was going on?!

"Stop playing around, Kitty!"

A growl could be heard, making Ember stop in her tracks. Looking down, she found a small, green puppy growling and glaring at her.

"I should warn you, Ember. Danny brought Cujo to live with him as extra protection for Danielle. We might be friends, but if Cujo thinks something is a threat to Danielle, I'm not stopping him."

Ember gaped like a fish as she stared at her best friend, who had a serious look on her face. This was all just too confusing to the rock diva.

"Wh-Why are you doing this, Kitty? Does Johnny know about this?"

"…I'm not cheating on Johnny if that's what you're implying," said Kitty, giving Ember a narrowed look.

"Then what the hell is going on?!" yelled out Ember, glaring at Kitty. "First I find you in Baby-Pop's house like it's an everyday thing! Then I find you with a kid that looks exactly like Baby-Pop and you won't even tell me why! Give me something!"

Kitty could see the hurt in Ember's eyes. She knew her friend had it bad for Danny (even if Ember wouldn't admit it), but to think that Ember would think that she would cheat on Johnny with Danny was absurd.

Letting out a sigh, Kitty called out to Cujo. "Cujo! Lie down!"

"Arf!"

The puppy trotted back over to his bed and fell promptly back to sleep. Kitty sat back down on the couch with Danielle on her lap and patted the spot next to her.

"Ember, sit."

"I'm not a dog," muttered out Ember, but sat next to Kitty anyway. "Are you going to tell me everything?"

She really shouldn't, Kitty knew this, but this was her best friend and Kitty trusted Ember more than anything. She knew Ember wouldn't do anything to Danielle. She just hoped Danny would understand when he gets back.

"Not everything. Technically, I shouldn't be telling you anything since I don't know if Danny trusts you," stated Kitty. From the corner of her eye she saw Ember flinch at the mention of Danny's mistrust in her. _'Oh, Ember…You really do love him, don't you?'_

"Then what are you going to tell me?" asked Ember in a quiet voice. It hurt knowing that Baby-Pop didn't trust her. Sure, she tried to brainwash the world, but that was only so she could achieve her dream of being a world famous rock star! Was that so wrong?

"The only things I can tell you is that Danielle is Danny's daughter and that me and Johnny get to be her aunt and uncle!" replied the biker chick. "Oh, and Danny's folks know about him being a half-ghost and they know about Danielle, so they won't hesitate to protect their granddaughter if anyone goes after her."

Even if this wasn't the whole story, it was still a lot to take in for Ember. Baby-Pop had a daughter. A daughter! How the hell did that happened?! Baby-Pop was a goody-goody. There was no way he'd be that irresponsible…unless some slut decided to take advantage of him. When she got her hands on that skank, oh, she was going to make her pay.

Then there was the fact that Kitty, and apparently Johnny, found out and Baby-Pop trusted Kitty to watch over the kid. She clenched her fists at that.

Lastly, Baby-Pop's ghost hunting parents knew his secret and he was still alive! Last she heard, Baby-Pop's ghost half was public enemy number one in his parents' eye.

As Ember processed all of this information, she never noticed that Danielle had been staring at her. In fact, Danielle's eyes hadn't left Ember since the rock diva first appeared. The ghostling was curious as to who this person was. The only thing the three-year-old knew was that Aunt Kitty liked her, so that must mean the new person wasn't scary!

After a few minutes, Ember let out a sigh before turning to Kitty with a serious look.

"Who is the mother?"

Kitty glanced away nervously. "Well…"

"Man, you'd think the Box Ghost would learn by now," said a voice, making the girls jump.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Danielle, reaching out towards the older Halfa.

Danny had returned from dealing with the Box Ghost, which obviously didn't take very long. He smiled when his daughter called out to him, but he was then surprised when he saw one Ember McLain sitting on his couch.

"Ember…what are you doing here?" questioned Danny getting on guard.

He watched as she gave him a narrowed look.

"Well I was going to head out into Amity Park, which is why tricked Box Ghost into going through the Portal first to keep you occupied," started Ember. "And then I find not only Kitty hanging out in your living room, but you also have a daughter?! What the hell, Baby-Pop?!"

Danny looked over at Kitty, a slight look of hurt and fear in his eyes.

"I didn't tell her much, Danny," said Kitty, not liking that he thought she betrayed his trust. "The only things I told her were that Danielle was your daughter and that your parents know your secret and about Danielle. I figured that if you wanted her to know everything, that you'd tell her yourself."

The young hero was about to ask why Kitty would tell Ember anything, but then he remembered something Kitty had said yesterday. Only the lowest of the low would go after a toddler. He trusted Kitty, but not Ember, and yet Kitty trusted Ember and he doubted Kitty would have Ember as a friend if the diva were willing to harm a child.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Danny gave Ember a narrowed look.

"You're lucky you're friends with Kitty."

Ember turned away with a huff, but this was more to hide how hurt she felt. Kitty was sad for her friend and hoped that she could change how Danny saw her in the future.

Taking Danielle from Kitty, Danny then sat near the girls and told Ember everything about how he found Danielle and her existence. To say that Ember was shocked was an understatement.

"Y-You're kidding me, right? Are you seriously telling me that, that whack job actually tried to CLONE you just so he could have you as a son?!"

The scowl on Danny's face deepened. "Unfortunately, yes. Vlad really is that crazy and desperate to get me."

"And he just upped and abandoned Mini-Pop, not caring what would happen to her?!"

Danny had to fight the smile that threatened to appear at the nickname Ember gave Danielle. "Unfortunately again, yes. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the fruit loop would abandon someone just to save his own skin."

"Luckily, Danny was there to find the little cutie and bring her home!" chirped Kitty with a beaming smile.

"And your parents had no problem with any of this?" asked Ember, not taking her eyes off of Danny.

"No, but you can imagine how scared I was to even bring it up them," replied Danny with a sigh, as he ran his hand through Danielle hair, to which the little one enjoyed. "I was ready to just run away and raise Danielle on my own if Mom and Dad still saw me as an "evil ghost"."

Ember had to suppress a shudder upon hearing that. If Baby-Pop had run away from home, then she'd never get to see him again. Hell, the main reason she still comes to Amity Park, aside from holding concerts, was to see HIM. They may have always fought when they crossed paths, but that was part of the fun.

"Then I guess it's a good thing your folks accepted you, huh, Baby-Pop," said Ember with a smirk.

This time a smile did appear on Danny's face. "Yeah. Looking back, I should have had more trust in them."

The three ghostly teens continued to talk, moving on to lighter subjects. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and it was soon time for Kitty and Ember to leave.

"Oh, wish we didn't have to leave already," said Kitty with a slight whine as they stood in front of the Ghost Portal.

"Yeah, well I'd rather not be here when Baby-Pop's friends get here. They'll probably think we're up to something," replied Ember with a huff. _'That and I really don't want to be here when the Goth shows up. Stupid nosy bitch.'_

"Can you blame them, Ember?" questioned Danny in a deadpan tone, making Ember to flinch. He then turned to Kitty with a smile. "Anyway, thanks again for coming by, Kitty. The more people Danielle can get used to the better."

The biker chick let out some giggles. "It was no problem, Danny."

Ember watched the scene of Kitty and Baby-Pop being friendly; a stabbing pain in her undead heart. Did Baby-Pop really hate her that much? With an angry huff, she turned towards the Ghost Portal, wanting to leave.

"Come on, Kitty! Let's get out of here before Johnny does something stupid like flirt with some bimbo!" said Ember, knowing that bringing up Johnny's womanizing would get Kitty moving.

"He better not be if he knows what's good for him," replied the green-haired ghost with a growl. She then flashed Danny a smile. "So same time tomorrow, Danny?"

"Same time tomorrow, Kitty," replied Danny with a chuckle.

Kitty giggled once more before leaning down to look at Danielle. "Now you be good for your daddy, okay, Danielle? And I know your Aunt Jazz isn't as fun as me, but don't give her too much of a hard time, okay?"

"…'Kay," replied Danielle with a smile. She wasn't exactly sure what Aunt Kitty was talking about with that last part though.

With that, the two female ghosts turned to leave, but were halted by the sound of whimpering.

"Danielle, what's wrong?" asked Danny as he looked down at his daughter who was currently trying to reach out towards the girls, more specifically Ember.

"What's up, Mini-Pop? I don't have anything for you," said Ember, confused as to what the ghostling was doing.

"Aw, I think she likes you, Ember!" exclaimed Kitty, her eyes sparkling as she took in the cuteness.

"Why? I didn't do anything with her!"

"That doesn't change the fact that she apparently likes," said Danny with a frown. "Which is strange considering she wasn't even like this towards Jazz, Sam, and Tucker."

"Maybe she just likes ghosts?" questioned Kitty.

"That can't be it. She loves her grandparents and they're human," replied Danny as he tried to keep Danielle in his arms.

"Well whatever the reason is, make her stop, Baby-Pop!" said Ember with frown. She then muttered out. "Not like I'm even welcomed here anyway."

Danny could feel his eye twitch in annoyance. What was with this girl? First she turns up unannounced, then she demands to know about Danielle, and now she's acting like she's been insulted. He glanced over towards Kitty, who was giving him a look that said "make this right", then down towards Danielle who was still reaching towards Ember. He let out a sigh of frustration before looking at the scowling diva.

"…Look, Ember, I've got this entire week off so I can watch over Danielle. I guess, if you want, you can come over with Kitty to spend time with Danielle so she can get used to other people."

Upon hearing this, Ember stared at Danny in shock while Kitty gave off a beaming smile.

"Are you serious, Baby-Pop?"

"For whatever reason, Danielle likes you. I don't fully trust you, but I can trust you enough not to do anything to her."

The fiery diva could feel something stir in her core. It wasn't much, but it was a start. Maybe she could prove to Baby-Pop that she could be trusted beyond watching over the Mini-Pop. Looking at the ghostling, who looked ready to cry, Ember gave her a reassuring smile.

"Cheer up, Mini-Pop. I'll be back tomorrow with your Aunt Kitty, so be a big girl and don't cry, got it," said the blue-haired girl. Seeing the little one give a nod, she grinned. "Good."

Now that Danielle had been calmed, Ember and Kitty went through the portal. As the two girls were making their way back to their realms, Kitty turned to Ember with a sly grin.

"You must be happy with the way things turned out."

"What the hell are you talking about, Kitty?"

"Oh nothing. Just remember, if you play your cards right, you might become something a little more than just a friend to Danny~"

Ember blushed brightly as she stared at her best friend in shock and fear. "H-How…?"

"Ember, it's kind of obvious that you love Danny. You should really just admit it and be happy. So use this opportunity to show Danny that you're different from how he sees you," explained Kitty before floating off towards her realm.

The ghostly rocker could only stare at the spot her friend was just at before turning towards her own realm. She had a lot to think about before tomorrow.

**CHAPTER END**

**-:-**

**This chapter was supposed to be up a LOT sooner, but as I mentioned in one of my more recent IzuJirou fics I got really sick and had to put everything I was working on, on hold. This chapter was one of those things.**

**Anyway, if you've read my other **_**Danny Phantom**_** fics, you probably knew what the main pairing for this fic was going to be. As you can see, Ember is already in love with our hero. Canon-wise, we know that she is in love with Danny; we just don't know WHEN she fell in love with him. For all we know she did fall in love with him during the series. Of course, things won't be easy for her since Danny doesn't completely trust her, but is giving her a chance for Danielle's sake.**

**Next up will be Ember spending time with the Phantom father/daughter duo, with a few surprises thrown in.**


	4. Seeing Red

Danny was starting to wonder if he was cursed or something along those lines. Why was he feeling like this right now? Well it had been a few days since Ember had found out about Danielle and he, reluctantly, allowed her to come by and hang out so Danielle could get used to other people. So far so good as Danielle surprisingly took to Ember like a duck to water.

But then his friends found out about Ember.

"What the hell, Danny?! Why would you let HER of all people near Danielle?!" demanded Sam, glaring at Danny and then at Ember.

Danny, who was holding Danielle, let out a sigh of frustration while Ember glared right back at Sam. Standing off to the side were Tucker, Jazz, Kitty, and Johnny (who got dragged here by his girlfriend). The four of them were wise enough to keep quiet and watch.

Instead of answering his friend, Danny stepped a few feet away from the two girls. Once he was far enough, he set Danielle down and watched as the ghostling quickly toddled off towards Ember. Sam had a blank look on her face as she watched the little one raise her arms wanting to be held, to which the rock diva complied.

"As you can see, Danielle REALLY likes Ember," said Danny. "And considering I'm trying to get Danielle used to others, I can't overlook this."

"Sure you could," replied Sam, crossing her arms.

Ember let out a slight growl. "Up yours, Goth! Sounds more like you're just jealous that Mini-Pop likes me more than you!"

She had to smirk in victory as the Goth glared at her.

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Why couldn't life be easier for him?

"Can you two NOT argue, at least not in front of Danielle?" asked Danny with a grimace as he looked at the two girls.

"She started it," they both muttered, giving each other side glares.

The halfa's frustration grew even more. "If it weren't for the fact that Danielle needs other people in her life, I'd take visitation privileges away from the both of you."

Sam frowned and put her hands on her hips while Ember gave off a slight pout.

"I still want to know WHY Danielle is so attached to Ember of all people," demanded the Goth girl.

Ember could feel her eye twitch in annoyance, but kept her temper in check. She didn't want to upset Baby-Pop and Mini-Pop.

"She just is, Goth, so drop it!"

A growl escaped Sam's throat. She was about to snap back, but a look from Danny stopped her in her tracks.

"That's enough, Sam. I have to think of what's best for Danielle right now and right now I need Ember's help."

It took everything Sam had to hold her tongue. She wanted to keep arguing, to try and get it through Danny's head that this was a bad idea and that Ember couldn't be trusted. Except she couldn't argue the fact that Danielle did indeed really like Ember for some reason. For now, Sam was going to remain quiet and keep her eyes open. The first moment the rock diva tried anything, into the thermos she goes.

"Fine," replied the Goth with a huff.

Danny knew this wasn't the end, but he'll take what he can get for now.

"By the way, Danny," started Kitty. "Has Danielle gotten used to anyone else yet?"

The Halfa grimaced while Jazz pouted.

"Yes, but it's going very slowly," replied Danny. "She's getting better with Tucker and Sam (at which Tucker grinned and Sam smirked), but she still doesn't like being near Jazz. Of course that might have something to do with Jazz constantly trying to put Danielle in dresses."

Jazz pouted even further when Danny directed a glare towards her.

"There is nothing wrong with trying to make her look pretty," stated the budding psychologist.

Ember glanced down at the ghostling in her arms to see the little one giving her aunt a pouty glare.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Mini-Pop disagrees with you, dipstick," replied the fiery girl in a deadpan tone.

"Jazz, I know you mean well, but please don't try to dress Danielle in something she doesn't like," added Danny with a sigh. "Since she's a clone of me, she'll most likely end up a tomboy and there is nothing wrong with that."

"But she would look so cute and pretty!"

The Halfa boy could just feel the migraine coming. He knew how to fix this.

"Fine, Jazz. You can dress Danielle up in dresses."

Everyone looked at Danny, questioning why he just gave in like that, while Jazz beamed in happiness.

"Really?"

"Just as long as you give up on being a psychologist and become whatever it is Dad wants you to be," replied Danny. It took everything to keep the shit-eating grin off his face when Jazz looked at him in horror.

"Wh-What?! Why?!"

"You force Danielle to do something she clearly doesn't like, then you have to do something YOU clearly won't like. It's only fair," explained the raven-haired boy.

"Y-You can't do that!" exclaimed Jazz, scared of what her little brother is capable of.

"Dad's down in the lab right now and I can easily go down there and tell him that you've decided to follow in his footsteps."

'_Maybe Baby-Pop's not as much of a goody-goody as we thought,'_ thought Ember with a small grin as Jazz paled.

"D-Don't you dare! Okay, okay, no dresses then!"

"Glad to know that we're finally on the same page, Jazz," stated Danny, finally letting the grin appear on his face.

The sound of Danielle's giggles filled the air as Jazz tried to calm her heartbeat.

-:-

Ember was bored. Kitty and her grease monkey boyfriend were out in town on a date and Baby-Pop's sister and dipstick friends were at school…not that she was desperate enough to want to hang out with THEM. This left her hanging out with Baby-Pop and Mini-Pop at his house. And Cujo, she guessed. The pup was sitting by Danny's feet, panting happily.

While she may have been bored, she would dare not complain like she normally would. If she did, chances were Baby-Pop would kick her out and she did NOT want that. That didn't mean she couldn't ask questions though.

"Out of curiosity, Baby-Pop, how long do you think it'll take before Mini-Pop is ready to be taken outside?" asked the rock diva, looking over at the Halfa boy sitting next to her.

Danny, who was busy setting up his laptop while Danielle sat on his lap, glanced at her before looking back at his task. "It depends on how long it takes to take Vlad down for good."

She couldn't hold back the groan from hearing that. "That'll probably take forever considering how much of a weasel he is."

"He'll mess up at some point, given how big his ego is," replied Danny as he turned on the video he was looking for. "Here you go, Danielle. This is a cartoon I used to watch as a kid."

The fiery girl peeked over to see what kind of cartoon Baby-Pop had on, only to raise an eyebrow when she saw what was apparently a cat and a shark getting blown up by bombs.

"What kind of cartoons did you watch, Baby-Pop?"

"Hey, this was funny back in the day and still funny now," replied Danny. "Too bad it never got picked up for a full series."

"Huh?"

"This cartoon was actually part of a compilation show that would show off multiple pilots for various cartoons and depending how well the pilots did they would get made into full series," explained the boy, while Danielle laughed at the cat getting blown up.

"Kinda reminds me of the Looney Tunes."

"I'm sure they were an inspiration."

"…Okay, the Blues Bomb and the Elvis Bomb are kinda cool," stated Ember as she continued watching. Then she gave off a grimace. "The Fat Bomb, not so much."

Danny had to suppress a shudder of fear as a certain memory from a certain dark timeline came to the surface.

"Daddy! I'm hungry!" squeaked out the ghostling, looking up at Danny.

"Huh? Well it is getting close to lunchtime," stated Danny, noticing that the clock was nearing noon. He then looked over at his guest. Might as well be polite. "Would you like to join us, Ember?"

She was actually surprised that he even asked, but played it off with a shrug. "Sure. I could go for some grub."

The teens, with Cujo following after, made their way into the kitchen where Danny placed Danielle in her high chair before getting started making lunch. While Danny was busy with that, Ember decided to have a conversation with the little one.

"So, Mini-Pop, you really don't like your Aunt Jazz, do you?"

"She's mean," replied the little one with a pouty glare.

"Eh, I wouldn't say she's mean, Mini-Pop. More like she doesn't have a good fashion sense," said Ember. She then turned to Danny. "She hasn't tried to put Mini-Pop in anything pink, right?"

"Not even Jazz is that stupid to think pink is a good color," stated Danny as he brought over lunch.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (Danielle's being cut up into quarters) and glasses of milk (with Danielle getting a sippy cup).

"Simple, yet a good choice," said Ember with a smirk. "You even used grape jelly, the only jelly worthy to be a on a sandwich."

"Never was a fan of strawberry myself," said Danny before turning to his daughter. "And don't inhale your food this time, Danielle."

The ghostling puffed out her cheeks while Ember raised an eyebrow.

"What, she eats too fast?"

"She saw how my dad eats one night and started to do the same. That's why I had to cut her sandwich like this, so she doesn't choke," explained Danny as he watched Danielle.

Ember glanced at the toddler who grabbed one of the sandwich quarters and stuffed the whole thing in her mouth. Danny could only pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"…I'm sure it's just a phase, Baby-Pop."

"I can only hope. Luckily after the first time, Mom scolded Dad about it so he's been improving his own eating habits in a way to show Danielle how to properly eat."

"Your folks sound like they'll be the spoiling type of grandparents because of how much they love Mini-Pop," said the rock diva with a grin.

"Dad more so. We occasionally catch him trying to give Danielle fudge," replied Danny with a laugh.

The fiery girl laughed as well. The two teens continued to talk about various things, something Ember was greatly enjoying since it meant she got to continue hanging out with Baby-Pop! Danny himself was actually surprised by the fact that he was having a civil conversation with the rock diva next to him. He still didn't completely let his guard down around her, but after the last few days of her spending time with him and Danielle he was starting to think maybe he could fully trust her.

That was when Danny's phone started to ring. Taking it out of his pocket, he raised an eyebrow in question when he saw who it was.

"Who is it, Baby-Pop?" asked Ember as she and Danielle looked at him curiously.

"It's Kitty," he replied. He then let out a sigh. "Johnny must have done something stupid and she needs me to fix it."

Even though she knew there was nothing going on between them, Ember still felt that sour feeling over the fact that Kitty would call Baby-Pop because her own boyfriend was an idiot.

'_Stupid grease monkey. How is it that Kitty hasn't kicked him to the curb yet?' _thought Ember with a frown.

With a press of a button, Danny answered. "Hello, Kitty."

"Danny! Come quick! Help!" yelled the biker chick in a panic, causing Danny to pull the phone away from his ear.

"Kitty! Slow down! What's going on?! What's wrong?!" questioned the Halfa as spoke back into the phone. Ember was now worried for her best friend.

"Some crazy chick in red is chasing after us! Yipe!" replied Kitty, letting out a yelp when Johnny had to swerve out of the way of an oncoming anti-ghost blast.

"Kitty! Kitty!" called out Danny, but the line went dead. "Damn it!"

"Baby-Pop! What's going on?" demanded Ember as Danny went ghost. She was getting scared.

"The Red Huntress is being an idiot…again," growled out the boy. "Watch over Danielle. I'll be back with Kitty and Johnny as soon as I can. Cujo, watch the house!"

"Arf!"

With that, Danny flew out of the house to find and stop the Red Huntress.

That left a worried Ember. Glancing over at Mini-Pop, she found the ghostling looking ready to cry.

"It's going to be okay, Mini-Pop," said the rock diva, lifting the little one into her arms and holding her close. "Your daddy's going to save your Aunt Kitty and the grease monkey that is your uncle."

"Is Daddy going to be okay?" asked Danielle as Ember carried her into the living room.

"Of course he will! Your daddy is probably the strongest ghost there is," stated Ember, giving Danielle a reassuring smile.

She felt relief when Danielle returned the smile. "Daddy's the best!"

"Yes, yes he is," replied Ember. _'I know I shouldn't worry, but don't make me a liar, Baby-Pop.'_

-:-

Flying as fast as he could, it didn't take long for Danny to find Kitty and Johnny, who were still being chased by the Red Huntress.

'_Time for a distraction,'_ thought Danny as he flew in close. "Excuse me, ma'am, but do you have a license to operate that hover board? If not, I'm going to have to give you a ticket."

"You!" growled out the Huntress as she aimed at Danny.

With a smirk, Danny easily dodged the blasts. It was quite easy, considering his mom was a WAY better shot. He had to hold back a laugh when the Huntress let out a yell of frustration as she followed after him.

Down below, Kitty and Johnny watched on in worry.

"Johnny! We need to do something!"

"Are you crazy, Kitten?! We barely survived against that crazy chick! What are we going to do to help, Phantom?!"

"You two won't be doing anything," said a voice, making the couple jump.

Looking to where the voice came from, they found…

"Danny?" questioned Kitty in confusion.

"Not quite. I'm actually a doppelganger," replied the copy, making the couple's eyes widen. "Yeah, one of my powers allows me to make copies of myself. But anyway, the real me is going to keep the Huntress busy while you two head back to Fenton Works where it's safe."

"Don't need to tell us twice," stated Johnny as he revved up his motorcycle and sped off before Kitty could protest.

With Johnny and Kitty now out of the danger, the doppelganger vanished, allowing the real Phantom to receive its memories.

'_Good. Now to have some fun,'_ thought Danny with a slight grin as he continued to dodge.

"Hold still, damn it!" yelled out the Huntress. It was then Phantom disappeared, making her stop in her tracks. "You coward! Show yourself!"

As she kept her guard up and looked around, Danny reappeared right behind her with a shit-eating grin on his face. He then leaned forward to where her ear would be under her helmet.

"Boo."

A loud scream filled the air as the Huntress jumped in fright and almost fell off her hover board. When she regained her balance she whipped around wide-eyed, before she cast the nastiest glare towards Phantom…who STILL had that annoying grin on his face.

"You're dead," said the Huntress with a hiss.

"Yes, ghosts usually are dead. We wouldn't be ghosts otherwise," replied Danny, holding back a laugh as the Huntress shook in anger. "Anything else you would like point out? Like how water is wet or the sky is blue?"

"Grr, would you take this seriously?!"

"I would, but I have another appointment that I need to keep and judging by the time," stated Danny as he looked at the imaginary watch on his wrist. "You should be heading back to class…Valerie."

He watched as she tensed up and almost lost it when she started babbling.

"B-But, h-how, wh-when…have you been spying on me?!" demanded Valerie as she glared at her rival.

"Not really. You just don't do a very good job at hiding your secret," replied Danny with a shrug. "Anyway…see you around."

Taking off at high speeds, he finally let loose the laughter that was building up when he heard the curses coming from his ex-girlfriend.

-:-

Back at Fenton Works, Ember was starting to get worried, especially since Mr. and Mrs. Fenton looked like they were preparing for war after they found out where Danny went off to and why.

"Don't worry, Danny-boy! We're on our way!" exclaimed Jack as he held a Fenton Bazooka.

"Um, maybe it's just me, but don't you think people will find it weird that the town's resident ghost hunters are going to go help a ghost?" asked Ember.

"That's why we're going to hunt Danny!" stated Jack with his usual carefree grin.

"…Wait, what?" questioned Ember, holding Danielle protectively. She thought Baby-Pop's parents were okay with him being half-ghost!

"It was Danny's idea, dear, since he still needs to keep his secret," explained Maddie with a reassuring smile. "Basically we pretend to still be hunting "the ghost boy" while at the same time acting as a distraction by getting in the way of the other ghost hunters. This allows Danny to get away to safety."

The rock diva had a blank look on her face before it twisted into a look of frustration. "Why am I NOT surprised that this was Baby-Pop's idea?"

Before anymore could be said, the biker couple phased through the wall as if Pariah Dark was on their tail.

"Sanctuary!" cried Kitty, throwing her arms up in the air. When she turned around, she was met with Ember's glare.

"Where is Baby-Pop?" demanded the fiery girl as Danielle started to squirm in her arms.

"Right here," said Danny as he phased through the wall not long after. Ember let out a small sigh of relief that she didn't know she was holding.

Upon seeing her father, Danielle reached out to him. "Daddy!"

"Hey, Danielle," said the older Halfa as he took the little one from Ember. "Were you a good girl while I was gone?"

"Yes!" replied the ghostling. She then held up her hand. "Fudge please!"

"…Well aren't you demanding," stated Danny with a blank look on his face.

Ember shook her head in amusement while Kitty let out some giggles and Maddie gave her husband a scolding look.

"There is nothing wrong with fudge," stated Jack with a slight pout.

Maddie could only sigh as she gave a loving pat to her husband's arm. "I know, honey, but you can't give it to Danielle all the time."

While Maddie continued to comfort Jack, Ember wanted answers as she turned to Danny.

"So what happened out there?"

The Halfa just gave off a shrug. "Nothing much. Just distracted Valerie and got under her skin to give Johnny and Kitty time to escape."

Ember raised an eyebrow at that. "Valerie?"

"The Red Huntress and one of my classmates. She REALLY doesn't like ghosts."

"We gathered as much," deadpanned Johnny with a grimace.

"But why does she hate ghosts so much?" asked Kitty with a frown. "She acted as if we ruined her life with the way she fired on us."

"That's because she believes ghosts did ruin her life," replied Danny with a grimace of his own.

He went on to tell how he first met Cujo, which was also the day Valerie's life was "ruined" and she blamed all ghosts for it. He also explained how he tried to convince her otherwise, but she just won't listen to reason. By the end, Ember's eye was twitching in annoyance.

"So because Cujo just wanted his favorite toy, that dipstick blames ALL ghosts for her misfortune? She better hope she doesn't run into me or I'll REALLY give her something to cry about!"

"I'll be the one dealing with Valerie, Ember," stated Danny, causing Ember to scowl. "Not only do I know how to deal with her, but if anyone is going to try and convince her that not all ghosts are bad it HAS to be me."

"Yes, because that worked so well before," replied Ember in a sarcastic tone, causing Danny's eye to twitch.

"Hey, it's a work in-progress, okay? Besides, it doesn't help that Vlad's pulling the strings," said the Halfa. Seeing the look Ember was giving him, he explained further. "Valerie got her suit from Vlad, even though she doesn't know it."

"And things just got worse," added Johnny with a groan.

"Not quite. Tucker's been working on a way to hack the suit's system to keep Vlad out of the loop. I'd love to see the look on his face when we get it up and running."

Ember could only roll her eyes at Baby-Pop's grin.

"You better hope this doesn't blow up in your face, Baby-Pop."

"All the more reason I need to plan this out carefully. I do have responsibilities to take care of, after all," replied Danny, glancing down at the toddler in his arms.

"And we'll be there to help you every step of the way, Danny-boy!" exclaimed Jack with Maddie nodding in agreement.

"We can help too!" chirped Kitty, gesturing to herself, Johnny, and Ember.

"…I guess I could help out as well," stated Ember, trying to act aloof. She then gave Danny a narrowed look. "But I don't care about what you said. If that Huntress tries anything with me, I WILL fight back."

Especially since the fiery girl had a feeling the Huntress would go after Mini-Pop regardless of the ghostling's age. Like hell she would allow that to happen!

"…I really hope Danielle doesn't pick up your stubbornness, Ember."

"Hey, I can be a really good influence, thank you very much!"

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand while Danielle let out a series of giggles and Ember pouted. Off to the side, Kitty watched the scene between Danny and Ember with a gleam in her eye as one thought entered her head.

It was time to help things along between these two.

**CHAPTER END**

**-:-**

**Have you ever started writing out a chapter and then reach a certain point where you have no idea how to continue the scene? That's what happened with this chapter. Add the fact that I was debating on whether or not Valerie should learn about Danielle in this chapter, that's why this chapter took so long to get out.**

**Cookie to anyone who can guess the cartoon Danny had Danielle watch and WHY I chose it.**


End file.
